Rail anchor



Patented July 18, 1933 UNTED STATES PATENT OFFCE HAROLD Gr. WARR, OF PARK :Et-EDGE, ILLENOIS, ASSGNOB. TO THE P @a M COMPANY, F'

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS RAIL ANCHOR Application led November 28, 1930. Serial N0. 498,791.

5 creeping movement of the rail.

The principal object of the invention is to provide an improved one-piece rail anchor which will firmly clamp the lower portion of a rail of the type having invertible heads, such type of rail being generally known as the bullhead type.

The bottom surface of the lower head of the above type of rail (considering the rail in its operating position) is curved and the upper surface of said head, that is to say the inclined upper surfaces at opposite sides of the web of the rail, incline at a relatively steep angle. These conditions7 together with the fact that said head is relatively thick and narrow present difficulties in providing a one-piece anchor which will maintain a firm grip on the rail.

It is a specific object of my present invention to overcome the above mentioned and other incidental objections to the use of one-piece rail anchors on rails of the above type. ln this connection my invention contemplates the provision of a onepiece anchor device having a` jaw for engagement with one of the inclined upper surfaces of the lower head of the rail and a body portion which is curved to correspond substantially to the curvature of the lower surface of the lower head of the rail, whereby the tendency which the wedging action ofthe jaw and body on the diverging-upper and lower surfaces has to back the anchor rail anchor being so formed `as to insure engagement between the body portion of the anchor and a corner portion of that part of the rail embraced by the jaw whereby the spring pressure of the jaw on the inclined upper surface of the lower head of the rail tends to rock the anchor about an axis eX- tending longitudinally of the rail to move the tail portion into rm gripping contact with the curved surface of the head on the opposite side of the vertical center of the rail.

The invention is illustrated in one specific embodiment in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side view of a rail anchoi1 constructed in accordance `with my invention applied to the lower head portion of a railroad rail of the bullhead type.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view of the rail showing the rail anchor in its initial position thereon and before any substantial pressure is applied to the rail anchor to drive it to its rail gripping position.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view of the rail-v road rail and the cross tie on'which the rail is supported showin@ the position of the iinproved anchor applied to the rail in a position to bear against a Vertical face of the cross tie.

Referring to the drawing, the type of rail for which vmy present invention is particularly adapted is known generally as the bullhead type of rail and consists of an upper and lower head portion 10 and 11 respectively united by a vertical web portion 12 and held in its operative position in the track by -means of a rail chair designated generally at 13 which embraces the lower head of the rail and has a clamping engagement with the vertical web thereof. .The clamping engagement is produced, in the form of chair herein illustrated by driving a block of wood 14 between the web of the rail and an abutment 111a of the rail chair. The tread survfaces of each of the heads of the rail are curved transversely of the rail as indicated at 15 and 16 of Fig. 1. It will be seen that when the rail is clamped in its operative position the lower head 11 'serves as the base of the rail and presents a curved bottom surface 16. rIhe upper inclined surfaces of the head 11 are inclined at relatively steep angles.

The rail anchor of my present invention is preferably made in one-piece from a metal blank of suitable length bent upon itself to provide a jaw portion 17 formed with a flat bearing surface 18 adapted to engage the inclined surface 19 of the lower head 11 of the rail base. The body portion is preferably curved on a radius corresponding to'the radius of the curve 16 of the railhead 11. The said curved surface of the anchor terminates in curved shoulders QO-Ql which are adapted to engage the curved corner portions of the railhead. Preferably there is a slight clearance between the upper portion of the shoulder 2O and the adjacent curved portion of the rail when the anchor is in its fully applied position. The shoulder 2O however serves to avoid over-driving'of the anchor when it is driven from the position shown in Fig. 2 to the applied position of Fig. 1, and thereby avoids excessive distor tion of the hook end of the anchor; The hook end of the anchor is preferably formed with a relatively larg-e curve and provides a substantial clearance between the adjacent vertical face of the railhead engaged and the inner surface of the curved portion of the hook. This permits the liaw 17 to be flexed upwardly relative to the body of the anchor to a greater degree without producing a permanent set in the metal. Preferably the curved upper surface of the anchor body is formed to fit snugly the contour of the rail head engaged so as to insure a firm bearing on the bottom surface of the rail at a point between the vert-ical face 22 of the railhead and the bearing` surface 18 of the anchor jaw whereby the upward flexing of the jaw 17 relative to the body portion of the anchor serves to rock the anchor about the bottom bearing 23 and thereby force the tail portion 24 of the anchor upwardly and int-o firm contact with the curved surface of the railhead at the opposite side of the vertical center of the rail. The coaction of the curved surfaces designated 25 and 26 in the dr i ing together with the shoulder portion 21 of the anchor serves to lock the anchor in posi; tion on the rail.

The anchor may be made from metal stock of any suitable thickness. Preferably the anchor herein shown is formed from metal stock substantially square in cross section so as to provide ample bearing surface for the body in its engagement with the rail and with a cross tie and at the same time provide the desired strength for effecting the desired resilient grip on the lower head portion of the rail. In applying the anchor to the rail, the hooked end 17 of the anchor is first hooked over one side portion of the lower head of the rail in a position whereby the under rail or body portion of the anchor will bear against the vertical face of the cross tie. The anchor is then driven transversely of the rail by striking the hook end of the anchor until the shoulder portion 21 moves upwardly to the locling position shown in Fig. 1.

I claim:

1. A rail anchor'adapted to be driven transversely of a rail into gripping engagement therewith comprising a body portion curved and adapted to seat against a correspondingly curved bottom surface of the rail, and a jaw at one end of the body for engaging over a portion of the rail to clamp the curved body in its position on the rail.

2. A rail anchor adapted to be driven transversely of a rail into gripping engagement therewith comprising abody portion formed with a depressed upper surface having a curvature corresponding to a curved lower surface ofthe rail. and a aw at one end of the body for engaging over a portion of the rail to clamp the curved surface of the body in position on the rail.

3. A rail anchor adapted to be driven iransvenely of a rail into gripping engagement therewith comprising a body portion formed with a depressed upper surface having a curvatme corresponding to a curved lower surface of the rail, and terminating in shoulders which engage the lower portions of the rail engaged.y and a jaw at one end of the body for engaging over a portion of the rail to clamp the curved surface of the body in its position on the rail.

t. A rail anchor adapted to be driven transversely of a rail into grippingr engagement therewith comprising a body portion curved and-adapted to seat against the correspondingly curved bottom surface of the rail, and a resilient jaw at one end of the body for engaging over a portion of the rail to clamp the curved body in its position on the rail.

5. A rail anchor adapted to be driven transversely of a rail into gripping engagement therewith comprising a body portion formed with a curved surface for engagement with a correspondingly curved surface of the rail; the said body being bent upwardly and inwardly at one end thereof to provide a resilient hook portion which engagesover a portion of the rail to clamp the body of the anchor in engagement with the lower surface of said rail.

6. A rail anchor adapted to be driven transversely of a rail into gripping engagement with the top and bottom surfaces of the lower portions thereof comprising a body portion having a curved upper surface adapted to seat against a correspondingly curved bottom surface` Vof the rail and formed at one end with a hook shaped portion to provide a jaw for engagement with said top surface; said hookfportion being bent on a relativelyl large radius and at a location whereby a substantial clearance is provided between the inner surface of the bend and the portion of the rail engaged.

7. A rail anchor adapted to be driven transversely of a rail into its gripping engagement therewith comprising a curved body portion adapted to seat against the correspondingly curved bottom surface of the rail, one end of the body bein g bent upwardly and inwardly to provide a jaw for engagement with an upper surface of the portion of the rail engaged; the extremity of said jaw being adapted to bear on said surface at a location spaced inw rdly from the point at which the body bears against the lower corner of the rail7 whereby the resilience of the serves to rock the anchor about said bottom bearing to maintain the curved upper surface of the body of the anchor in clamping engagement with the curved lower surface of the rail.

S. In combination with a railroad rail of the type having relatively thick and narrow upper and lower heads united by a -central vertical web` the lower nead being of a width substantially equal to the width of the upper head of a oneepiece clamp adapted to be driven from one side of the rail into gripping engagement with the top and bottom surfaces of said lower head of the rail comprising a bar bent at one end to provide a rail gripping jaw which overlies the upper surface of the body of the bar, the upper surface of the body of the bar being formed with a recess` to receive the lower portion of said head to lock the jaw in its rail gripping position and providing a surface for gripping the bottom surface of said lower head.

9. In combination with a railroad rail of the type having invertible heads, the lower head of which is relatively thick and narrow, of a one-piece clampino` device for engagement with the lower head of the rail in a position to bear against an adjacent cross tie to resist the longitudinal creeping movement of the rail comprising a bar having a body portion, the upper surface of which is depressed to form a curved surface terminating in shoulders for engagement over opposite longitudinal edges of the lower head of said rail and formed at one end with a resilient hook portion, the extremity of which has a clamping engagement with an upper surface of said lower edge at one side of the rail to hold the curved body portion of 'the anchor in clamping engagement with said bottom surface of the rail.

HAROLD G. WARE. 

